415beaver: Although treatment of fans might be a consideration for an athletic director scheduling a road game, factors such as travel distance, exposure, time of year, weather, money received (if it's a one-off or neutral-site game) and whether the game is winnable are higher on the list.

backroll23: Hope you're having a good day. As I noted at the end of the piece, coaches who are going to cheat are going to cheat. This software is for folks trying to follow the rules, which are incredibly elaborate and complicated. Hence the apps.

My editors' instructions for this story were to write a broad-based piece for the front page to catch up the general reader on the state of each program and the stories of the summer on the opening day of camp. In that context, it would be absurd not to mention Willie Lyles.

Readers: You raise good points about Clever's statement. I've changed the story to more accurately reflect what he meant: that Oregon thwarted every attempted sale *that officials found out about.* That means they didn't have to self-report an NCAA violation.

BobW: My understanding is that uniforms, gear, etc., are given to players for use, not to keep, as a general rule. Exceptions include:
1. Gear that is retired -- e.g., players are allowed to keep worn-out shoes that are determined to have no monetary value.
2. Special jerseys -- BCS game, senior jersey, etc., are given as gifts to players. They're also allowed to purchase jerseys, as I wrote here: http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindducksbeat/2011/02/the_bachscore_where_oregon_duc.html

duckwolverine: Oregon State's 5-6 season in '98, with the overtime victory over the Ducks at then-Parker Stadium, showed the Beavers were on the upswing and showed Dennis Erickson that a coach could win in Corvallis.

I agree with you about the '95 season and '96 Cotton Bowl. Phil Knight's involvement came about because the Ducks lost that game and he wanted to know what they needed to win. The answer: an indoor practice facility. That sparked the building boom at Oregon and throughout the West. Now almost every football program has an indoor facility -- among many other amenities.

timberjer: Perhaps you misread the article's tone, which was meant to give Stanford a friendly ribbing for its dominance. I'm well aware that Muay Thai isn't a varsity sport at Stanford (nor, for NCAA and Director's Cup purposes, is acrobatics and tumbling, aka competitive cheer). I hope you reread the story and see it for what it is: a compliment, not a criticism.

superlibanusbuster: I encourage you to read the whole story. If McMillan or Kelly were denied a job because of their sexual orientation, or their peers kept spouses and children out of the media guides because of fear of reprisal, then their orientations would be relevant.

These coaches both are newsworthy not only for their history of success in their respective sports, but also for their courage to be themselves during the month of July, when negative recruiting surfaces.